Clarice Willow
Clarice Willow is a high priestess of Athena and the headmistress of the Athena Academy. She is also a cell leader of the monotheistic group known as the Soldiers of the One. Early Life Clarice was born on Sagittaron and grew up in its slums. (1) She loves Scorpion Ambrosia and was practically weaned on it. When she was a child, she moved to Gemenon to join the Soldiers of the One and quickly became the brightest star in the STO training camp. Clarice is involved in a group marriage with three wives and at least four husbands. She adopted the last name of her wife, Desiree Willow. Personality In conversation with the Blessed Mother, Obal Ferras describes Clarice as a dyed-in-the-wool zealot with delusions of grandeur - a definite Messiah complex. Athena Academy Clarice is the Headmistress of Athena Academy and a sister in the Athenian clergy. In actuality, Clarice is a Monotheist who runs an STO terrorist cell in the school. She pretends to be a Polytheist as a cover for her STO activities. Clarice uses her position at the academy to covertly convert students to monotheism and recruit them into the STO. Pann was the first student she recruited. She subsequently recruited Keon Gatwick, Hippolyta and Ben Stark, who in turn recruited Zoe Graystone and Lacy Rand. GDD Investigation In the aftermath of the MAGLEV bombing, Clarice counsels Lacy over her grief. She wonders if Zoe left anything behind so Lacy can find a connection to her friend. She encourages Lacy to look so she can find some comfort. Agent Jordan Duram of the Global Defense Department (GDD) interrogates Lacy and Sister Clarice at the Academy. Duram reveals his belief that Ben Stark was part of the attack and that both he and Zoe Graystone were part of STO. This upsets Lacy and she leaves. Duram discusses Monotheism with Clarice and asks her how many of her students are practicing Monotheists. Clarice reveals nothing about her students' religious beliefs, saying the Academy is open to all forms of worship, including the belief in a singular god. Later, Lacy tells Clarice how Ben and Zoe introduced her to monotheism. Clarice reveals she is with the STO as well. Zoe's Program Clarice invites Lacy over for a Saturday lunch, one month after Lacy's best friend, Zoe Graystone, perished in the MAGLEV bombing. Clarice introduces her wives, Mar-Beth, Helena, and Desiree, and her husbands, Nestor, Tanner, Olaf and Rashawn. Nestor flirts with her, which arouses the suspicions of Mar-Beth. After Lacy leaves, Mar-Beth and Tanner challenge Nestor and Clarice over their motivations for their attentions towards Lacy. Nestor denies that he was trying to seduce her. Clarice says she invited Lacy to their home in a friendly attempt to help Lacy cope with her grief over Zoe's death. In actuality, Clarice and Nestor are secretly trying to get close to Lacy to see what she knows about Zoe's sentient avatar program. Clarice invites Lacy to her office for tea. Lacy is uncomfortable sitting next to her. Clarice offers to be her confessor and to share her burdens, like she says she did for Zoe. However, Lacy grows visibly uncomfortable and leaves. Later, Lacy meets Zoe in V-World. Zoe warns Lacy not to trust Clarice. She only wants to use Zoe's program. Clarice puts on a holoband and virtually meets with Alvo against his wishes. She tells him that they are close to getting Zoe Graystone's sentient avatar program, which will help the Soldiers of the One serve the Lord through Apotheosis. Alvo is upset that her actions have brought scrutiny on the organization and tells her that not everyone shares her beliefs. Agent Duram obtains the search warrant for the lockers of the Athena Academy to look for any evidence connecting Zoe to the MAGLEV bombing. Clarice receives a phone call at home alerting her to the impending GDD raid at the Academy. She leaves, purposefully bumping into a Businessman and picking his pocket for an e-sheet that she uses to tip-off Keon at the Academy. Keon clears bomb materials out of his locker. The GDD arrives with the press. They ransack the lockers. After they leave, Clarice sends the traumatized students home. Then she breaks down. Nestor and Olaf give Clarice a swipe drive so she can wirelessly steal data from Daniel Graystone's computer in an effort to look for Zoe's avatar program. Clarice visits Amanda Graystone under the pretense of returning some of Zoe's school books to her. While Amanda's attention is diverted, Clarice successfully steals the data from Daniel's computer. Nestor and Olaf discover the avatar program used to be in Daniel's computer, but it is not there now because it was downloaded. Clarice says there must be a backup somewhere so she is going to find Amanda at the MAGLEV bombing memorial site (Amanda visits every day) to try to find out where it is. Clarice is wrapping a bottle of Scorpion Marsh Genuine Ambrosia when Olaf catches her. Clarice explains that she needs to spend time with Amanda because "Amanda is the mother of Zoe and Zoe is the mother of life everlasting - there is a connection." She visits Amanda at home and they share the ambrosia. Barnabas Barnabas Greeley is her rival. Virtual Heaven Clarice meets with the Monotheist Church Conclave on Gemenon to give a holoband demonstration of the value of Virtual Heaven. It depicts a group of STO suicide bombers attending a Caprica Buccaneers versus the Gemenon Twins pyramid game at Atlas Arena. They set off their bombs and blow up the arena. Then they download into existing sentient avatars of themselves and praise the One True God. Clarice describes the Virtual Heaven: "Imagine a world in which death has been conquered, in which eternal life is not just a dream, but a reality. Thirty-thousand Capricans will die in the fire. A select few will be reborn, those who have accepted the One True God into their hearts. Only they will savor life everlasting in a Virtual Heaven that we have built. The Twelve Worlds will see our paradise and understand the gift that our God offers. We live in a remarkable era. Myth and mystery have been replaced by reason and science. I offer you a religion that removes the need for faith, a religion of certainty that reflects the wonder of all we have created. That is Apotheosis." Apotheosis Future In 47YR, she is the Minister of a Virtual World Monotheist Church for cylons. Clarice travels to Gemenon to present her petition for the Church to recognize the "differently sentient," as she refers to the cylons. She presents her proposal to Odin Sinclair. He takes her to see the Blessed Mother whom Clarice is stunned to discover is Lacy Rand. With cylons at her side, Lacy tells Clarice to kneel before her. Category:Soldiers of the One Category:Athena Academy Behind the Scenes Season Two "The Caprica Times" website interviewed Kevin Murphy about what would have happened if Caprica had been renewed for a second season. Murphy said, "Clarice is considered a terrorist on Caprica and has been traveling the other worlds in exile as a notable Cylon rights activist, and critic of the Caprican government and Daniel Graystone in particular. She’s also forming a church in V-World that’s accessible to Cylons when they power down and 'dream.' Her religion is a violent one that foments insurrection and rebellion. Lacy and Odin take advantage of Lacy’s odd affinity with the U-87s to drive Mother from power and enforce peace on Gemenon. The trouble is that Cylons scare the crap out of the population at large, and Lacy is perceived by Capricans as the head of a crazy cult of toaster-lovers. Circumstances would have forced Lacy into an awkward marriage of convenience with Clarice." (2) References 1. "Pilot." Caprica: Season 1.0, created by Ronald D. Moore and Remi Aubuchon, deleted scenes, episode 101, Syfy, 2010, disc one. 2. Capricatimes. "The Caprica Times Exclusive Interview: Kevin Murphy." The Caprica Times, 29 April 2011. * See also Sexuality.